Matrix-setting and type-line casting machine



J. DORNETH April 17, 1934.

MATRIX SETTING AND TYPE LINE CASTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24, 1933 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 STATES PATENT OFFICE MATRIX-SETTING AND TYPE-LINE CASTING MACHINE Application January 24,

1933, Serial No. 653,338

In Germany January 27, 1932 9 Claims.

The invention relates to a device on matrixsetting and type-line-casting machines with matrix bars circulated on wires, whereby it is possible to feed each individual, released matrix bar automatically in the vertical position by the machine into the horizontal collecting station, after the said bar has arrived at the lowest point of the slide wire which carries it. In the machines employed heretofore, which are not 16 equipped for circulation of the matrices, the slide wires extend directly from the magazine to immediately adjacent the end of the setting station in an inclined direction, so that each matrix bar which is released slides by its own weight down the inclined path tothe end, and takes up a position immediately adjacent the previously released matrix or space disc. The faces of the type are of course so machined in the matrices that the resulting type-line face gives an exactly straight 20 line extending at right angles to the matrix bars. In order to obtain such a type-line face, the matrix bars set up must be held at the casting station in a position inclined to the vertical, so that they-are at right angles to the direction of the slide wires. The necessity for this is accentuated by the fact that all the type faces are impressed in the matrices at a definite distance from one and the same measuring line, which distance is the same for corresponding letters, the said measuring line also extending, at the casting station, at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the matrix bars, that is to say, parallel to the type-line face or to the direction of the slide wires. Consequently, in the typograph machines employed heretofore, all matters are so arranged at the composing or casting station, as to take into consideration the inclined direction of the slide wires, or of the type-line face. Therefore, the casting mould holder, casting mould, casting pot or casting orifice have to be arranged in an inclined manner.

The arrangement described in the foregoing is impossible, however, for setting machines equipped for circulation of the matrices, however, in which, for example, the cast matrices are brought to the distributing wires by a carriage moving vertically upward. The conditions in regard to the face of the type remain the same, however, viz. the type-line face must give an exactly straight line extending at right angles to the matrix bars, which again is secured by impressing all the type faces in the matrices at a definite distance from thesame measuring line running parallel with the type-line face, the said distance being the same for corresponding letters. By this means, no alterations will have to be made in the manufacturing process for the matrices, irrespective as to whether the matrices are intended for the typograph machines employed heretofore working without circulation and having an inclined casting mould, or for setting machines of the typograph type with a matrix circulation operated in any manner, and with horizontal casting mould.

The device on which this invention is based will be explained in the following in reference to a circulation machine, in which, for example, the matrix bars after casting are brought upwards to the distributing wires by a carriage moving in a vertical direction. In such machines, 0 a horizontal collecting station for the matrices set up is provided in front of the conveyor carriage situated opposite the casting station. This is necessary because, during casting and distribution of the matrices previously set up, the next line is already set up, although the conveyor carriage is not ready for receiving fresh matrices, or is not yet situated at the casting station again.

The devices at the casting station, that is to say, therefore, the guide wires within the conveyor carriage, casting mould holder, casting mould, casting pot and casting orifice are adapted for a horizontally extending type-line face, that is to say, for matrix bars which hang vertically, because of course the direction of movement of the conveyor carriage is likewise vertical, and during distribution, the matrix bars have to hang freely in the said carriage. For this reason also, the matrix collecting station provided in front of the carriage is provided with horizontal guide wires, which have their continuation in the wires within the conveyor carriage. Thus, by their own weight, the released matrices slide along their inclined guide wires from the magazine until only immediately in front of the collecting station. From thence, they have to be fed for a short distance into the collecting station by a device operated automatically by the machine. In order to avoid errors in setting up, each individual matrix arriving in front of the collecting station must be engaged by the said feed device and fed, in its vertical position and parallel to itself, into the collecting station. It is important that, during this feed operation, the vertical position of the matrix bar should be maintained, in order that the matrix bar will be brought correctly into the guide ledges corresponding to the particular type face, so that no canting or bending of the matrix bar takes place during insertion. The new device is therefore so adapted as to engage each individual released matrix, irrespective as to what length it is, and upon what guide wire it is suspended, simultaneously at two points as far as possible apart, for example at the suspension eye and immediately above the face of the type. This lower point of engagement is so selected that, on any wear occurring here, no injury to the type face can take place.

A constructional form of the invention is shown diagrammatically in the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of the collecting station with the feed device.

Figure 2 is a front view of Figure 1, but the slide wires carried round the device and leading obliquely upward to the magazine have been omitted for the sake of clearness.

Figure 3 is a section along the line III-III in Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a section along the line IV-IV in Figure 2.

The guide wires 1 extending downwardly at an inclination'from the'magazine, not shown, bend round'at their lowest point in a horizontal directionfand form there the collecting station, denoted by A (see Figure 1). The said guide wires 1 have their continuation in the likewise horizontal guide wires 2 within the conveyor carriage 3 which lifts the set matrices from the cas ing station to' the distributing station. Since tr e magazine of typograph setting machines is formed of two identical, symmetrically disposed halves, there are also formed in the collecting station A and on the conveyor carriage 3 two opposite, perfectly identical, parallel rows of suspension Wires, as will clearly be seen in Figure 2. At the front end of the collecting station A. where the wires 1 pass from their inclined direction into the horizontal direction, there is provided the feed device driven by the machine. The said feed'device comprises two shafts 4 and 5, continuously rotating at the same speed, journalled in the machine frame and disposed vertically adjacent the slide wires, each of the said shafts being allocated to one side of the collecting station, 1. e., therefore, to one magazine half. On each of the shafts 4, 5 are locateda plurality, for example four, cross-wise disposed ledges 6 (see Figures 2 and 3). In order to obviate wear of the matrices and for the purpose of suppressing noise, the said ledges are made of a material which is softer than the matrixbars, for example, vulcanized fibre. The ledges 6 may be secured in any desired manner to the shafts 4', 5, for example by means of clamping pieces 7 and screws 8. The distance of'the operative edges of the ledges 6 from the guide wires 1 is only very small, so that each eye 9 of the matrices 10 arriving at the collecting station is engaged with'certainty by a ledge 6. The length of the ledges 6 must be such that the said ledges engage the eyes both of matrices suspended from the lowest slide wires and from the top slide wires. One of the two shafts, for example the shaft 4, is extended downwardly and carries a small star-shaped catch wheel 11 (see Figure 4), the teeth 12 of which must correspond, in the position in space, with the ledges 6 situated thereabove and disposed on the same shaft 4. The wheel 11 is fixed at such a height on the shaft 4 as to engage with its teeth the brass portion'of each matrix 10 arriving at the collecting station, at a point immediately above the type face of the letter, so that any Wear occurring at this point will not injure the quality of the type face. At the upper'end of the shafts 4, 5 are fixed, for example, two spur-wheels 13, 14 (see Figure 2) of equal size, meshing with each other. Above one of the said toothed wheels, for example on the shaft 5, is mounted a driving pulley 15 driven off the machine in any manner, for example by means of a belt 16 or the like, whereby the shaft 5 and hence also, through the toothed wheels 13, 14, the shaft 4 and the star-wheel 11 thereon are set in rotation. In order to be able to interrupt the rotary motion of the feed device at any instant, independently of the machine drive, a clutch 17 is provided, the said clutch being operable by the compositor from his place at the keyboard by means of a lever bar 13 indicated diagrammatically in Figures 1 and 2. In this way, the compositor is able at any instant to stop at once, for any reasons, the mechanical feed device for the matrices arriving at the collecting station.

The matrices 10 released by the depression of the keys pass from the magazine, not shown, along their guide wires 1 by their own weight to immediately in front of the collecting station A, where they run on a rail 19. As soon as a released matrix arrives within range of the mechanical feed device, it is engaged at two points, that is to say, by the operative edge of a ledge 6 at its suspension eye and by a tooth 12 of the star wheel 11 immediately above the type face and, due to the rotation of the shafts 4, 5, is fed forward a short distance parallel to itself into the collecting station A. This is repeated for every succeeding matrix and space disc, provided the latter are likewise suspended on wires like the matrices. In this way, the matrices al-. ready in the collecting station A are continuously being fed into the collecting station by an amount corresponding to the thickness of a set matrix, until the matrices first set have reached the end, i. e. have filled the collecting station that is to say, a line is completely set up. At the same time, the matrices are also guided by two lateral rails 20, in addition to the lower rail19, During the entire feed process, the matrices remain in their vertical position suspended from the wires and as previously mentioned are fed always parallel tothemselves, since of course, by means of the feed device according to the invention, each freshly arriving matrix.

As soon as the collecting station is filled. ora

line of matrices has been set up, which may be indicated for example by meansof an acoustic or. optical signal, the line set upis transferred by.

means of a manually operated slide, not shown on the drawing, from the collecting station A into the conveyor carriage 3, where it justifiedand cast. Thereupon, the matrices, after casting, are brought by the carriage 3 up to the distributing station, while they setting of the fresh line may already be commenced immediately after transferring the set line from the collecting station A into the conveyor carriage 3.

What I claimis:

1. In a matrix setting and typeline casting,

machine, a plurality of guide wires, matrix bars movable along said wires, a collecting station for receiving a group of said matrix bars moving along said wires, rotating shafts at both sides of the collecting station, and feed members on said shafts, said feed members being arranged to engage each individual set matrix bar arriving in front of said collecting station simultaneously at two widely spaced points and feed said bar in a vertical position and parallel to itself into said collecting station.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said wires are arranged in multiple rows and the feed members of the respective shaft engage the matrix bars of the respective rows of wires.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said guide wires are arranged in a plurality of rows, the feed members which engage the upper portions of the matrix bars being carried, for one row of wires, by one of said shafts and, for the other rows of wires by the other shaft, the feed member engaging the lower portions of the matrix bars acting on all of the bars moving along the several rows of wires.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the feed member engaging the lower portions of the matrix bars is arranged to engage the latter at a point immediately above the type faces.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said feed members are formed of material softer than that of the matrix bars.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the feed members engaging the upper portions of the matrix bars are constituted by ledge-like parts secured to said shaft.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the feed members engaging the upper portions of the matrix bars are constituted by ledge-like parts extending throughout the height of the several guide wires, the edges of the ledgelike parts being arranged in close proximity to said wires.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the provision of a driving gear connecting the said shafts, and a clutch controlled driving connection for one of said shafts whereby the latter may be driven by the machine.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the provision of a driving gear connecting the said shafts, and a clutch controlled driving connection for one of said shafts whereby the latter may be driven by the machine, said driving connection including a clutch rod extending to a point adjacent the keyboard of the machine for operation by the compositor.

JULIUS DORNETH. 

